Let C be a curve of genus g, and let SU(r) be the moduli space of vector bundles of rank r on C, with trivial determinant. A general E in SU(r) defines a theta divisor in the linear system |r Theta|, where Theta is the canonical theta divisor in Pic^{g-1}(C). This defines a rational map SU(r) - - > |r Theta|, which is the map associated to the determinant bundle on SU(r) (the positive generator of Pic(SU(r)). In this paper we prove that in genus 2 this map is generically finite and dominant. The same method, together with some classical work of Morin, shows that in rank 3 and genus 3 the theta map is a finite morphism -- in other words, every E in SU(3) admits a theta divisor.
We show that the locus of stable rank four vector bundles without theta divisor over a smooth projective curve of genus two is in canonical bijection with the set of theta-characteristics. We give several descriptions of these bundles and compute the degree of the rational theta map.
Effective reconstruction formulas of a curve from its theta hyperplanes are known classically in genus 2 (where the theta hyperplanes are Weierstrass points), and 3 (where, for a generic curve, the theta hyperplanes are bitangents to a plane quartic). However, for higher genera, no formula or algorithm are known. In this paper we give an explicit (and simple) algorithm for computing a generic genus 4 curve from it's theta hyperplanes.
We discuss variations of Hodge structures on abelian varieties that arise from intersecting translates of theta divisors with a special focus on the case of abelian varieties of dimension 4
In this paper we prove a conjecture of Hershel Farkas that if a 4-dimensional principally polarized abelian variety has a vanishing theta-null, and the hessian of the theta function at the corresponding point of order two is degenerate, the abelian variety is a Jacobian. We also discuss possible generalizations to higher genera, and an interpretation of this condition as an infinitesimal version of Andreotti and Mayer's local characterization of Jacobians by the dimension of the singular locus of the theta divisor.
In this paper we show that semistable vector bundles on a Castelnuovo curve of genus g >= 2 have theta divisors. As a corollary, we deduce that semistable vector bundles on a smooth, general curve of genus g >= 2 which extend to semistable vector bundles on any Castelnuovo degeneration of the general curve admit a theta divisor.
We study the Albanese image of a compact Kähler manifold whose geometric genus is one. We prove that if the Albanese map is not surjective, then the manifold maps surjectively onto an ample divisor in some abelian variety, and in many cases the ample divisor is a theta divisor. With a further natural assumption on the topology of the manifold, we prove that the manifold is an algebraic fiber space over a genus two curve. Finally we apply these results to study the geometry of a compact Kähler manifold which has the same Hodge numbers as those of an abelian variety of the same dimension.
Let M be the moduli space of SO(r)-bundles on a curve, and L the determinant bundle on M. We define an isomorphism of H^0(M,L) onto the dual of the space of r-th order theta functions on the Jacobian of C. This isomorphism identifies the map M -->|L|* defined by the linear system |L| with the map M -->|r Theta| which associates to a quadratic bundle (E,q) the Theta divisor of the vector bundle E . The two components M+ and M- of M are mapped into the subspaces of even and odd theta functions respectively. Finally we discuss the analogous question for Sp(2r)-bundles.
Let U(r) be the moduli space of rank r vector bundles with trivial determinant on a smooth curve of genus 2. The map theta_r: U(r) -> |r Theta|, which associates to a general bundle its theta divisor, is generically finite. In this paper we give a geometric interpretation of the generic fibre of theta_r.
In this paper we approach the study of generalized theta linear series on moduli of vector bundles on curves via vector bundle techniques on abelian varieties. We study what are called the Verlinde bundles in order to obtain information about duality between theta functions and effective global and normal generation on these moduli spaces.
A generic strictly semistable bundle of degree zero over a curve X has a reducible theta divisor, given by the sum of the theta divisors of the stable summands of the associated graded bundle. The converse is not true: Beauville and Raynaud have each constructed stable bundles with reducible theta divisors. For X of genus at least 5, we construct stable vector bundles over X of rank $r$ for all $r \geq 5$, with reducible and nonreduced theta divisors. We also adapt the construction to symplectic bundles. In the appendix, Raynaud's original example of a stable rank 2 vector bundle with reducibl…
We study the bundles of generalized theta functions constructed from moduli spaces of sheaves over abelian surfaces. In degree 0, the splitting type of these bundles is expressed in terms of indecomposable semihomogeneous factors. Furthermore, Fourier-Mukai symmetries of the Verlinde bundles are found, consistently with strange duality. Along the way, a transformation formula for the theta bundles is derived, extending a theorem of Drezet-Narasimhan from curves to abelian surfaces.
This is a (short) survey lecture on the "theta map" from the moduli space of SL_r bundles on a curve C to the projective space of r-th order theta functions on JC . Some recent results and a few open problems about that map are discussed.
Let $E$ be a smooth elliptic curve over $\mathbb{C}$. For $E$ embedded into $\mathbb{P}^2$ as Hesse cubic and $V$ an Ulrich bundle on $E$ we derive a explicit presentation of $V$ using Moore matrices and theta functions.
In this paper we investigate generalized theta divisors $Θ_r$ in the moduli spaces $\mathcal{U}_C(r,r)$ of semistable vector bundles on a curve $C$ of genus $2$. We provide a desingularization $Φ$ of $Θ_r$ in terms of a projective bundle $π:\mathbb{P}(\mathcal{V})\to\mathcal{U}_C(r-1,r)$ which parametrizes extensions of stable vector bundles on the base by $\mathcal{O}_C$. Then, we study the composition of $Φ$ with the well known theta map $θ$. We prove that, when it is restricted to the general fiber of $π$, we obtain a linear embedding.
Let C be a curve of genus g and L a line bundle of degree 2g on C . Let M be the kernel of the evaluation map from the trivial bundle with fibre H^0(C,L) into L . We show that when L is general enough, the rank g bundle M and its exterior powers are stable and admit a reducible theta divisor.
According to Mukai, any prime Fano threefold X of genus 7 is a linear section of the spinor tenfold in the projectivized half-spinor space of Spin(10). The orthogonal linear section of the spinor tenfold is a canonical genus-7 curve G, and the intermediate Jacobian J(X) is isomorphic to the Jacobian of G. It is proven that, for a generic X, the Abel-Jacobi map of the family of elliptic sextics on X factors through the moduli space of rank-2 vector bundles with c_1=-K_X and deg c_2=6 and that the latter is birational to the singular locus of the theta divisor of J(X).
Due to fundamental results of Igusa and Mumford the $N=2^{g-1}(2^g+1)$ even theta constants define for each genus $g$ an injective holomorphic map of the Satake compactification $X_g(4,8)=H_g/Γ_g[4,8]$ into the projective space $P^{N-1}$. Moreover, this map is biholomorphic onto the image outside the Satake boundary. It is not biholomorphic on the whole in the cases $g\ge 6$. Igusa also proved that in the cases $g\le 2$ this map is biholomorphic onto the image. In this paper we extend this result to the case $g=3$. So we show that the theta map $$X_3(4,8)\to P^{35}$$ is biholomorphic onto the …
Raynaud has shown that over a general curve of genus $g \ge 2$, every semistable bundle of rank three and integral slope admits a theta divisor. We show that this can fail for special curves: Over any bielliptic curve of genus $g \ge 5$, we construct a stable rank three bundle of trivial determinant with no theta divisor. This gives a partial answer to a question of Beauville.
We study base points of the generalized Theta-divisor on the moduli space of vector bundles on a smooth algebraic curve X of genus g defined over an algebraically closed field. To do so, we use the derived categories D(Pic(X)), D(Jac(X)), and the equivalence between them given by the Fourier-Mukai transform coming from the Poincaré bundle. The vector bundles P(m) on the curve X defined by Raynaud play a central role in this description. Indeed, we show that a vector bundle E is a base point of the generalized Theta-divisor, if and only if there exists a nontrivial homomorphism P(rk(E)g+1) --> …
The moduli space M_2 of rank four semistable symplectic vector bundles over a curve X of genus two is an irreducible projective variety of dimension ten. Its Picard group is generated by the determinantal line bundle Ξ. The base locus of the linear system |Ξ| consists of precisely those bundles without theta divisors, that is, admitting nonzero maps from every line bundle of degree -1 = 1-g over X. We show that this base locus consists of six distinct points, which are in canonical bijection with the Weierstrass points of the curve. We relate our construction of these bundles to another of Ray…
We generalize to $n$-torsion a result of Kempf's describing $2$-torsion points lying on a theta divisor. This is accomplished by means of certain semihomogeneous vector bundles introduced and studied by Mukai and Oprea. As an application, we prove a sharp upper bound for the number of $n$-torsion points on a theta divisor, and show that this is achieved only in the case of products of elliptic curves, settling in the affirmative a conjecture of Auffarth, Pirola and Salvati Manni.
We study relations between two fundamental constructions associated to vector bundles on a smooth complex projective curve: the theta function (a section of a line bundle on the moduli space of vector bundles) and the Szegö kernel (a section of a vector bundle on the square of the curve). Two types of relations are demonstrated. First, we establish a higher--rank version of the prime form, describing the pullback of determinant line bundles by difference maps, and show the theta function pulls back to the determinant of the Szegö kernel. Next, we prove that the expansion of the Szegö kernel at…
We give explicit formulas for the Kawazumi-Zhang invariant and Faltings delta-invariant of a compact and connected Riemann surface of genus three. The formulas are in terms of two integrals over the associated jacobian, one integral involving the standard Riemann theta function, and another involving a theta function particular to genus three that was discovered by Frobenius. We review part of Frobenius' work on his theta function and connect our results with a formula due to Bloch, Hain and Bost describing the archimedean height pairing of Ceresa cycles in genus three.
The level moduli space $A_g^{4,8}$ is mapped to the projective space by means of gradients of odd Theta functions, such a map turning out no to be injective in the genus 2 case. In this work a congruence subgroup $Γ$ is located between $Γ_2(4,8)$ and $Γ_2(2,4)$ in such a way the map factors on the related level moduli space $A_Γ$, the new map being injective on $A_Γ$. Satake's compactification $\text{Proj}A(Γ)$ and the desingularization $\text{Proj}S(Γ)$ are also due to be investigated, since the map does not extend to the boundary of the compactification; to aim at this, an algebraic descript…
This paper shows that on the moduli space of semi-stable vector bundles of fixed rank and determinant (of any degree) on a smooth curve of genus at least two, the base locus of the generalized theta divisor is large provided the rank is sufficiently large. It also shows that the base locus is large for positive multiples of the theta divisor. This work extends results already known for the case where the determinant is of degree zero.
We give a solution to the weak Schottky problem for genus five Jacobians with a vanishing theta null, answering a question of Grushevsky and Salvati Manni. More precisely, we show that if a principally polarized abelian variety of dimension five has a vanishing theta null with a quadric tangent cone of rank at most three, then it is in the Jacobian locus, up to extra irreducible components. We employ a degeneration argument, together with a study of the ramification loci for the Gauss map of a theta divisor.
We consider the following question: for which invariants $g$ and $e$ is there a geometrically ruled surface $S \rightarrow C$ over a curve $C$ of genus $g$ with invariant $e$ such that $S$ is the support of an Ulrich line bundle with respect to a very ample line bundle? A surprising relation between the existence of certain proper Theta divisors on some moduli spaces of vector bundles on $C$ with the existence of Ulrich line bundles on $S$ will be the key to completely solve the above question. The relation is realized by translating the vanishing conditions characterizing Ulrich line bundles …
In this paper I present a new geometric approach to the factorization rule for generalised theta functions. Let $X$ be an irreducible projective nodal curve with one singularity and let $Y$ be its normalization. Recently I have constructed the moduli stack $GVB(X)$ of rank $n$ Gieseker vector bundles on $X$ and have shown that its normalization is a locally trivial fibration over the moduli stack $VB(Y)$ of vector bundles on $Y$, where the fibre is a canonical compactification of $Gl_n$. In this paper I prove a canonical direct sum decomposition of the space of global sections of a power of th…
We compute the class of arithmetic genus two Teichmueller curves in the Picard group of pseudo-Hilbert modular surfaces, distinguished according to their torsion order and spin invariant. As an application, we compute the number of genus two square-tiled surfaces with these invariants. The main technical tool is the computation of divisor classes of Hilbert Jacobi forms on the universal abelian surface over the pseudo-Hilbert modular surface.
We complete the proof of the fact that the moduli space of rank two bundles with trivial determinant embeds into the linear system of divisors on $Pic^{g-1}C$ which are linearly equivalent to $2Θ$. The embedded tangent space at a semi-stable non-stable bundle $ξ\oplusξ^{-1}$, where $ξ$ is a degree zero line bundle, is shown to consist of those divisors in $|2Θ|$ which contain $Sing(Θ_ξ)$ where $Θ_ξ$ is the translate of $Θ$ by $ξ$. We also obtain geometrical results on the structure of this tangent space.
Given a vector bundle $E$ of rank $r$ and degree $d$ on a curve $C$ of genus $g$, one can associate to $E$ in a natural way several other vector bundles. For example, one can take wedge powers of $E$. If $E$ is generated by global sections, the kernel of the evaluation map of sections is again a vector bundle. Also, new vector bundles can be produced by taking elementary transformations centered at a fixed point. Under suitable conditions on degree and rank, these constructions can be carried out globally. While all this processes seem quite elementary, very little is known about the resulting…
Let X be a smooth projective connected curve of genus $g \ge 2$ and let I be a finite set of points of X. Fix a parabolic structure on I for rank r vector bundles on X. Let $M^{par}$ denote the moduli space of parabolic semistable bundles and let $L^{par}$ denote the parabolic determinant bundle. In this paper we show that the n-th tensor power line bundle ${L^{par}}^n$ on the moduli space $M^{par}$ is globally generated, as soon as the integer n is such that $n \ge [\frac{r^2}{4}]$. In order to get this bound, we construct a parabolic analogue of the Quot scheme and extend the result of Popa …
Some divisor class relations are proved and used to compute the Cartier divisor class of the virtual canonical bundle for genus 0 maps to a smooth target.
We construct natural maps (the Klein and Wirtinger maps) from moduli spaces of vector bundles on an algebraic curve $X$ to affine spaces, as quotients of the nonabelian theta linear series. We prove a finiteness result for these maps over generalized Kummer varieties (moduli of torus bundles), leading us to conjecture that the maps are finite in general. The conjecture provides canonical explicit coordinates on the moduli space. The finiteness results give low--dimensional parametrizations of Jacobians (in $\Pp^{3g-3}$ for generic curves), described by $2Θ$ functions or second logarithmic deri…
Let $C$ be a smooth complex irreducible projective curve of genus $g$ with general moduli, and let $(L,H^0(L))$ be a generated complete linear series of type $(d,r+1)$ over $C$. The syzygy bundle, denoted by $M_L$, is the kernel of the evaluation map $H^0(L)\otimes\mathcal O_C\to L$. In this work we have a double purpose. The first one is to give new examples of stable syzygy bundles admitting theta divisor over general curves. We prove that if $M_L$ is strictly semistable then $M_L$ admits reducible theta divisor. The second purpose is to study the cohomological semistability of $M_L$, and in…
In this note we prove the genus 3 case of a conjecture of G. Farkas and A. Verra on the limit of the Scorza correspondence for curves with a theta-null. Specifically, we show that the limit of the Scorza correspondence for a hyperelliptic genus 3 curve C is the union of the curve ${x,σ(x))$ (where $σ$ is the hyperelliptic involution), and twice the diagonal. Our proof uses the geometry of the subsystem Γ_{00} of the linear system 2Θ, and Riemann identities for theta constants.
Let E and F be vector bundles over a complex projective smooth curve X, and suppose that 0 -> E -> W -> F -> 0 is a nontrivial extension. Let G be a subbundle of F, and D an effective divisor on X. We give a criterion for the subsheaf G(-D) \subset F to lift to W, in terms of the geometry of a scroll in the extension space \PP H^1 (X, Hom(F, E)). We use this criterion to describe the tangent cone to the generalised theta divisor on the moduli space of semistable bundles of rank r and slope g-1 over X, at a stable point. This gives a generalisation of a case of the Riemann-Kempf singularity the…
The aim of this note is to describe the restriction map from the moduli space of stable rank 2 bundle with small $c_2$ on a jacobian $X$ of dimension 2, to the moduli space of stable rank 2 bundles on the corresponding genus 2 curve $C$ embedded in $X$.
We compute all the top intersection numbers of divisors on the total space of the Poincare bundle restricted to the product of a curve and the abelian variety. We use these computations to find the class of the universal theta divisor and $m$-theta divisor inside the universal corank 1 semiabelian variety -- the boundary of the partial toroidal compactification of the moduli space of abelian varieties. We give two computational examples: we compute the boundary coefficient of the Andreotti-Mayer divisor (computed by Mumford but in a much harder and ad hoc way), and the analog of this for the u…
This article is based on lecture notes prepared for the August 2006 Cologne Summer School. The first part contains background material and references for beginners. The second (and main) part is a survey of the current status in the theory of pluri-theta linear series and generalized theta divisors on moduli spaces of vector bundles on curves. It emphasizes relatively new techniques employed in the analysis of linear series on these moduli spaces, namely the use of moduli spaces of stable maps for understanding Quot schemes, and the Fourier-Mukai functor in the study of coherent sheaves on abe…
In this paper we study the sections of the canonical line bundle on the moduli space of parabolic semistable vector bundles with trivial determinant and fixed parabolic structure of type $\underlineλ=(λ_1,..., λ_s)$ (with each weight $λ_i$ in $P_{\ell}(\SL(r))$) on a smooth projective irreducible curve over $\C$ of genus $g \geq 1$. We give a nontrivial lower bound for the dimension of the sections (that are called generalized parabolic SL(r)-theta functions) when $\sum_{1}^{s} λ_i$ is in the root lattice.
Our main result is an effective version of the Torelli theorem in genus $3$ and any characteristic not $2$: the configuration of the odd theta characteristics of a curve $C$ of genus $3$ determines a del Pezzo surface $S$ of degree two and that $C$ is recovered as the normalization of a certain curve on $S$. This surface is not the one usually associated to $C$; we describe the distinction. We also give an explicit geometrical description of the quadratic twist (observed by Serre) that arises in the statement of the Torelli theorem.
We compute the stringy E function of the moduli space of rank 2 bundles over a Riemann surface of genus 3. In doing so, we answer a question of Batyrev about the stringy E functions of the GIT quotients of linear representations.
We study the stability of the normal bundle of canonical genus $8$ curves and prove that on a general curve the bundle is stable. The proof rests on Mukai's description of these curves as linear sections of a Grassmannian $\mathrm{G}(2,6)$. This is the next case of a conjecture by M. Aprodu, G. Farkas, and A. Ortega: the general canonical curve of every genus $g \geq 7$ should have stable normal bundle. We also give some more evidence for this conjecture in higher genus.
Let $π:X\rightarrow \mathbb{P}^2$ be a K3 surface of genus 2 and $L=π^{\ast}\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^2}(3)$, and assume that $π^{\ast}\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^2}(1)$ is ample as a line bundle on $X$. In this paper, we give a numerical characterization of initialized and ACM line bundles on $X$ with respect to $L$ and construct families of semistable indecomposable ACM bundles of higher rank, by using extensions of ACM line bundles.
We prove canonical isomorphisms between Spin Verlinde spaces, i.e, spaces of global sections of a determinant line bundle over the moduli space of semistable Spin-bundles over a smooth projective curve C, and the dual spaces of theta functions over Prym varieties of unramified double covers of C.
We compute the rational cohomology of the moduli space of non-singular non-hyperelliptic complex projective curves of genus 3 with an odd theta characteristic.
In this note we describe a unique linear embedding of a prime Fano 4-fold F of genus 10 into the Grassmannian G(3,6). We use this to construct some moduli spaces of bundles on linear sections of F. In particular the moduli space of bundles with Mukai vector (3,L,3) on a generic polarized K3 surface (S,L) of genus 10 is constructed as a double cover of the projective plane branched over a smooth sextic.
Let $\cM_r$ denote the moduli space of semi-stable rank-$r$ vector bundles with trivial determinant over a smooth projective curve $C$ of genus $g$. In this paper we study the base locus $\cB_r \subset \cM_r$ of the linear system of the determinant line bundle $\cL$ over $\cM_r$, i.e., the set of semi-stable rank-$r$ vector bundles without theta divisor. We construct base points in $\cB_{g+2}$ over any curve $C$, and base points in $\cB_4$ over any hyperelliptic curve.
Let X be a complex projective curve which is smooth and irreducible of genus 2. The moduli space M_2 of semistable symplectic vector bundles of rank 4 over X is a variety of dimension 10. After assembling some results on vector bundles of rank 2 and odd degree over X, we construct a generically finite cover of M_2 by a family of 5-dimensional projective spaces, and outline some applications.
In this paper we give a birational model for the theta divisor of the intermediate Jacobian of a generic cubic threefold $X$. We use the standard realization of $X$ as a conic bundle and a $4-$dimensional family of plane quartics which are totally tangent to the discriminant quintic curve of such a conic bundle structure. The additional data of an even theta characteristic on the curves in the family gives us a model for the theta divisor.
Mess showed that the genus 2 Torelli group $T_2$ is isomorphic to a free group of countably infinite rank by showing that genus 2 Torelli space is homotopy equivalent to an infinite wedge of circles. As an application of his computation, we compute the homotopy type of the zero locus of any classical genus 2 theta function in $\mathfrak{h}_2 \times \mathbb{C}^2$, where $\mathfrak{h}_2$ denotes rank 2 Siegel space. Specifically, we show that the zero locus of any such function is homotopy equivalent to an infinite wedge of 2-spheres.
Building on our previous joint work with A. Schmitt [7] we explain a recursive algorithm to determine the cohomology of moduli spaces of Higgs bundles on any given curve (in the coprime situation). As an application of the method we compute the y-genus of the space of PGL_n-Higgs bundles for any rank n, confirming a conjecture of T. Hausel.
Let $X$ be an abelian variety defined over an algebraically closed field $k$. We consider theta groups associated to \emph{simple semi-homogenous vector bundles of separable type} on $X$. We determine the structure and representation theory of these groups. In doing so we relate work of Mumford, Mukai, and Umemura. We also consider adelic theta groups associated to line bundles on $X$. After reviewing Mumford's construction of these groups we determine functorial properties which they enjoy and then realize the Neron-Severi group of $X$ as a subgroup of the cohomology group $\H^2(\V(X); k^\tim…
We give an explicit description of theta-characteristics on tropical curves and characterize the effective ones. We construct the moduli space for tropical theta-characteristics of genus g as a generalized cone complex. We describe the fibers of the specialization map from the classical moduli space of theta-characteristics on algebraic curves to our moduli space of tropical theta-characteristics.
According to Mukai, any prime Fano threefold X of genus 7 is a linear section of the spinor tenfold in the projectivized half-spinor space of Spin(10). It is proven that the moduli space of stable rank-2 vector bundles with Chern classes c_1=1,c_2=5 on a generic X is isomorphic to the curve of genus 7 obtained by taking an orthogonal linear section of the spinor tenfold. This is an inverse of Mukai's result on the isomorphism of a non-abelian Brill--Noether locus on a curve of genus 7 to a Fano threefold of genus 7. An explicit geometric construction of both isomorphisms and a similar result f…
